Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is an abnormal, uncontrolled growth of cells that forms a tumor on one or both testes. Men have two testicles (testes, gonads) that are located in the scrotum, a pouch of loose skin found below and at the base of the penis. About the size of golf balls, the testicles are responsible for producing sperm and male hormones (mainly testosterone) that regulate reproductive organ development.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in males between 20 and 35 years of age. According to the American Cancer Society, about 8,000 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer in the United States each year, and about 400 men die of it. Caucasian males are at a greater risk than are those of African, Hispanic, or Asian descent, although the cause for this additional risk is not known. Other risk factors include undescended testicles (cryptorchidism), gonadal dysgenesis (abnormal development of the testes), Klinefelter’s syndrome (a sex chromosome disorder), and a family or personal history of testicular cancer.
Germ cell tumors account for about 94% of testicular cancers. These cancers are separated into seminomas and nonseminomas (which include yolk sac tumors, teratomas, embryonal carcinomas, and choriocarcinomas). Seminomas tend to grow very slowly and usually do not metastasize. Nonseminomas occur earlier in life and tend to grow and spread more quickly than seminomas.
About 4-5% of all (and 20% of children’s) testicular cancers are stromal tumors, forming in the tissues that support the testes and produce hormones. These tumors may secrete estradiol, a form of the female hormone estrogen, resulting in gynecomastia.
While testicular cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer, with a cure rate in excess of 90%, most types will spread if left unchecked, first invading and damaging the other testicle before metastasizing to the lymph nodes or other body organs, such as the lungs. Early detection and treatment is crucial to a favorable outcome.
